New Year. New You!

ByTaylor Glover

•

15 Apr, 2016

The New Year has arrived and you may be thinking about how
you’re going to make changes to live a happier and healthier life. You can do
this by making your health your number one priority to start each and every
day. No more excuses, no more putting yourself on the back burner while you
take care of everyone else. This is your year!

80% of people who join a gym in January end up quitting
before they’ve hit the five-month mark. Don’t let this be you. Don’t become a
statistic. Most of the people who end up quitting their gym are those that
never went consistently or stopped having a regular workout schedule soon after
joining. This is the secret. Make the
commitment to go to your gym to workout on a consistent schedule. The more you
go, the faster you’ll see results and the more motivation you’ll have to keep
it up.

When you begin to make the gym part of your schedule it
becomes a habit. It becomes your routine. And you’re body will begin to miss it
if you ever stop going. You need to make this commitment from the beginning.
Commit to yourself that you will go 3 times a week, 4 times a week, whatever
you can commit to, and stick with it.

Find a workout class that you love or a trainer that you
connect with and let that keep you accountable. Soon you’ll start to see
results and no one will be able to keep you away!

At Abnormal Fitness Club we have our own commitment. A
commitment to help you become the healthiest and happiest you can be. We specialize in customizing a fitness plan
specifically for you and your needs. We also offer a wide range of classes from
Yoga and Barre, to strength training workouts like SLAM, and Build & Burn.
See the results you’ve been yearning for. Experience the Abnormal Difference.

Coat the bottom of a coffee cup with honey, and add whisky or brandy. Then warm Crisp Apple Sparkling ICE in a small saucepot, and pour it into the glass. Stir the ingredients, and garnish with cinnamon stick, star anise, and apple slices.

*Note: This recipe calls for an 8-inch springform, but it also
works in a 9-inch if you double the entire recipe.

Preheat oven to 350F, line the bottom of an 8-inch springform or
removable-bottom tart pan with parchment, and set aside. In a large mixing
bowl, combine all dry crust ingredients, then stir in the oil and water to make
a dough. Transfer to the prepared pan, press down hard, and bake 12 minutes on
the center rack. Toss the apple and sweetener in a medium bowl, then spread
evenly over the baked crust. In a third bowl, combine all crumble ingredients.
Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples. Bake 50-60 minutes or until apples
are soft and tender. Allow to cool 20 minutes before removing the springform.

Sweet Potato Casserole has one of our favorite vegetables
included but don’t let all the marshmallows and extra butter overshadow all the
nutrients. Try our healthy version with a secret ingredient to sweeten the
deal!

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

3 ½ - 4 pounds sweet potatoes
(about 5 medium)

2 medium apples (secret ingredient)

½ cup water

¼ cup honey

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
(optional)

½ cup milk

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans,
lightly toasted

Directions:

Scrub and peel the sweet potatoes,
then chop them into 1-inch cubes and place in slow cooker. Peel the apples
and chop them into 1-inch pieces; add to the slow cooker. Add the water,
honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cover and cook on high heat for 3-3 ½
hours, until sweet potatoes are very soft.

Use a potato masher to mash the
sweet potatoes and apples until your desired level of smoothness. If you
like, you can also use an electric mixer to achieve a smoother
consistency.

Add the butter (if using) and milk,
and stir until well combined. Sprinkle on the toasted, chopped pecans and
set your slow cooker to the “Keep Warm” setting for serving.

A good way to cut the carbs in your Thanksgiving
stuffing and up your protein is to increase sausage or your meat of choice and
reduce your servings of bread. Check out our healthy Sausage Stuffing recipe
that everyone at your Thanksgiving table will love!

Did you know that traditional Pumpkin pie has 323 of
calories and 46 carbs in a slice! Yikes!

Luckily, you can still have your favorite thanksgiving pie
without completely falling off of your healthy eating wagon. Follow the link
below for a healthier version of our beloved pumpkin pie! With just about 141
calories and only 13.9 carbs!

Total Time: 45m

Yield:
1 pumpkin pie

Ingredients

· 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree

· 1 (13.5oz) can full-fat
coconut milk

· 1/4 cup rolled oats

· 2 tbsp ground flax

· 1/3 cup coconut sugar or
brown sugar

· pinch pure stevia, or 2
tbsp extra brown sugar

· 2 tsp cinnamon

· 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Healthy Pumpkin Pie
Recipe: Preheat oven to 400F. Blend all ingredients together until smooth, then
pour into a prepared pie crust (such as the recipe below) in a 10-inch round
pan. Bake 27 minutes (it will still be underdone after this time, which is
okay!), let it cool, then refrigerate at least 5 hours uncovered for the pie to
thicken and “set.” Note: I’ve not tried this healthy pumpkin pie recipe with
any milk other than full-fat canned coconut milk. Feel free to experiment with
other milks, but I can’t vouch for the results.

Crust Recipe:

1 1/2 cups ww pastry
flour or all-purpose flour (Almond flour may work but I have not tried it. Many
readers have said gf all-purpose flour will work.)1 tsp salt1/3 cup xylitol or sugar of choice1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil (80g)2-4 tbsp water (I used 3)Preheat oven to 200F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add
oil and stir. Add water as needed until it just sticks together but is not
gummy. Press evenly into a 10-inch pie pan. Put the crust in the oven and
immediately increase the temperature to 350F. (The crust will rise, so either
use pie weights during baking or just press the pie crust back down
afterwards.) Bake 15 minutes. Let cool.

Youth sports have become more intense and competitive
throughout the years. Kids typically find the sport they love early on and
spend years playing it. Although, this an example of great dedication, this
type of continuous, isolated movement can leave your child vulnerable to
muscle, bone and joint injuries.

Most sports put pressure and strain on a select group of
muscles and joints. When you’re child does this repeatedly during sports
training it leaves the neglected muscle groups vulnerable to injury.

At Abnormal Fitness Club, we recognize this danger, that’s
why we’ve created Abnormal Athletes. The program is designed to strengthen
those vulnerable joints and muscles while improving endurance, power and speed.
Our trainer will create a customized workout-training plan to fit your child’s
specific sport and body.

In addition to injury prevention, the Abnormal Athlete
program teaches techniques that your child can continue to use as they grow
older and progress in their sport. They’ll develop best practices that will help
them transition from high school sports to the college level.

If you have a child that is involved in sports and would
like to know more, call or stop by the gym today!

What’s a fun and effective way to get fit and burn a serious
amount of calories? Our MYZONE MEPs Contest!

You’ll assemble your team of 4 to compete to see which teams
in the club can earn the highest team average of MEPS in one single month!

What are MEPs you might ask? MEP stands for MYZONE Effort
Points. A MYZONE belt will be strapped
around your torso to track your heart rate. Using MYZONE technology we’ll track
your effort and calories burned through the 4 MYZONE phases; blue, green,
yellow, and red.

Studies show that those who hear others are performing
workouts better than they are, begin to push themselves harder than those who
don’t experience a competitive pressure. So we’ve created the MYZONE MEPs
Contest to push you to perform at your best and kick start your progress.

Have a business trip during the month of the contest? That’s
okay! With your MYZONE belt you can workout anywhere. It will automatically log
your progress and tally your points, no matter where you are when you’re
wearing it.

So if you’re looking to jump-start your fitness before
Spring Break arrives, this is the contest for you! Burn those calories and
start seeing the results you’ve been working for. Sign up and see full list of
details here.

The New Year has arrived and you may be thinking about how
you’re going to make changes to live a happier and healthier life. You can do
this by making your health your number one priority to start each and every
day. No more excuses, no more putting yourself on the back burner while you
take care of everyone else. This is your year!

80% of people who join a gym in January end up quitting
before they’ve hit the five-month mark. Don’t let this be you. Don’t become a
statistic. Most of the people who end up quitting their gym are those that
never went consistently or stopped having a regular workout schedule soon after
joining. This is the secret. Make the
commitment to go to your gym to workout on a consistent schedule. The more you
go, the faster you’ll see results and the more motivation you’ll have to keep
it up.

When you begin to make the gym part of your schedule it
becomes a habit. It becomes your routine. And you’re body will begin to miss it
if you ever stop going. You need to make this commitment from the beginning.
Commit to yourself that you will go 3 times a week, 4 times a week, whatever
you can commit to, and stick with it.

Find a workout class that you love or a trainer that you
connect with and let that keep you accountable. Soon you’ll start to see
results and no one will be able to keep you away!

At Abnormal Fitness Club we have our own commitment. A
commitment to help you become the healthiest and happiest you can be. We specialize in customizing a fitness plan
specifically for you and your needs. We also offer a wide range of classes from
Yoga and Barre, to strength training workouts like SLAM, and Build & Burn.
See the results you’ve been yearning for. Experience the Abnormal Difference.

The holidays bring many opportunities to share time with your loved ones. They also bring lots of opportunities for socializing, eating and drinking. Even the most disciplined people can feel tempted and give in to the holiday feast. To enjoy the holiday season and keep your health and fitness in tact, you need a strategy. Follow these simple tips to stay on track this year!

Don’t go to a
party hungry:
We often eat faster and more when we are hungry,
therefore eat a wholesome, fiber filled breakfast and lunch during the day to
avoid overeating at the party.

Watch your
portions:
treat yourself to a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or
sweets without guilt, but always watch your portion. Go for small portions
. This way you can sample several different
foods.

For every cocktail, have a bottle of water with it to drink
, and to keep you feeling a bit full. Have
it in a wine glass!

Remember:
Calories from Alcohol tend to be stored in the
Abdomen. People actually gain weight more easily when they consume alcohol, as
drinking tends to lead to eating, and usually not the best choices of food.
You’re not in your best decision making mode. J

Drink plenty of
water:
Alcohol and Coffee dehydrate your body.

Keep up your Physical Activity:
Take nice brisk walks with
your loved ones and enjoy their company during the holiday season; bring them
to a Boot Camp class to show them what you are doing to look so good! You can
buy them a workout shirt to wear and have fun spending time together while
you’re getting your heart rate up!

Healthy Holiday Eating
Tips:
Recipe Substitutions

If you are the chef of the party, try the following
lower-fat recipe substitutions: